Helena

We are in Helena, Montana. It is one of the larger towns we visit on this ride with a population of about 27,000. Riding into town with so many people and so much traffic yesterday afternoon was a little surreal after spending so many days riding in the middle of nowhere with just animals for company. We stumbled across the world's cheapest motel within spitting distance of downtown, and the nice lady who runs it doesn't even mind us keeping bikes in our rooms. After spending a few hours doing some laundry,and having my first shower in 8 days, we went off to eat (where Chris blagged a free desert by pretending it was his birthday). For some obscure reason that I still can't quite work out, 4 of us then went off to the cinema to watch Mama Mia (something to do with Sarah Tudor telling Hywel that it was 'really good'). If anyone reading this is even remotely contemplating watching it - don't. It is dire. How we weren't thrown out within the first 10 minutes for laughing I don't know.

Anyway, within 24 hrs of writing the last post on this blog I was unfortunate enough to see bear No2 of the trip. We were heading up a 4.5 mile climb through some woodland an hour or two out of Lincoln. I was riding up front some 4-5 minutes ahead of Hywel and Andy - the others being further back again. As I was riding along I heard a noise to my left. I looked across to see an adult black bear some 10 metres off the trail. I remember thinking - oh, it's a bear. I stopped and we stared at each other for a few moments until it turned and ambled away up the hillside away from me. I figured that I ought to warn the others about it so walked back down the trail, following the progress of the bear on the hillside as I did so. By the time Hywel and Andy came into view the bear had disappeared into the undergrowth on the mountain above us. Having now seen 2 bears I am completely convinced that I really don't need to see anymore.

Tomorrow we head for Basin and on towards Butte the day after that. The map suggests that we have some tough riding in store. Fortunately, we are not yet in Colorado - Kate told us a little earlier that the area we are riding through there has been hit by snow : )